CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who’s been mentioned as a possible vice presidential candidate, said he hasn’t received any vetting materials for the position.
Asked Tuesday morning on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” if he would be interested in the job, Pritzker pivoted. “I love being the governor of the state of Illinois, and I’ve been out on the campaign trail fighting hard for Democrats to win,” he said, ticking off his visits to Indiana and Ohio and states he’ll be going to next: Tennessee and Arizona. “It’s important to me that we win across the board and all across the United States. So I’m gonna continue to do that. And I’m very interested in making sure that Kamala Harris becomes the next president of the United States.”
Harris, who is on track to win the Democratic nomination after President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he’s dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, is expected to name her running in the near future. Several names have been floated, including Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) as well as Govs. Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, among others.
Pritzker was also mentioned as a possible presidential candidate before Biden stepped down. A wealthy businessperson before he became governor whose family founded the Hyatt hotel chain, Pritzker could have self-funded a campaign. He endorsed Harris on Monday after having numerous calls with Democratic insiders.
Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota also appeared on “Morning Joe” Tuesday but wasn’t asked about whether he’s being vetted by Harris’ team or if he’s interested in being her running mate. Instead, he went on the offensive against Harris’ opponents.
“There is angst [in America]. Because robber barons like JD Vance and Donald Trump gutted the Midwest,” he said.
Andrew Howard contributed to this story.
